This invention relates to fishing jigs and more particularly to a novel jig particularly suited for catching salmon of the species referred to as Blackmouth which are feeder Chinooks or Kings. These highly prized fish feed at the bottom of deep sounds and estuaries in Pacific Northwest waters during the late fall, winter and early spring months of the year and due to tidal currents and scrap fish above them are difficult to reach and attract with ordinary lures and bait at those depths. The invention is herein illustratively described by reference to its presently preferred embodiments; however, it will be recognized that certain minor modifications and changes therein with respect to details may be made without departing from the essential features involved.
The difficulties of attracting and catching Blackmouth salmon in Pacific Northwest waters, particularly during the late fall, winter and spring months when the fish are not schooling with those making their spawning runs, have inspired many and varied efforts at designing artificial lures. Lures that can be trolled deep bring success to the careful fisherman working the vessel and special gear to maintain near-bottom depth during a troll. However, use of fresh herring and candlefish "mooched" with the vessel stopped and the weighted line lowered to the bottom is still a popular technique since it affords a reliable means to keep the bait at or near the bottom when sophisticated electronic sounders and special trolling gear are not available. The difficulty with using a sinker and fresh bait to mooch for salmon, however, still lies in reaching the bottom readily in heavy tidal currents and in the problem of dogfish and other scrap fish taking the bait before it is taken by a salmon. The broad object of this invention is to devise an artificial lead (Pb) jig that has the necessary density and weight to reach bottom readily and the required special action to attract salmon.
In fishing with herring, it is common practice to "plug-cut" the bait by severing the head from the body by an oblique cut that provides a leading face angled approximately 45.degree. to the body plane and approximately 45.degree. to a longitudinal plane at right angles to the body plane of the herring. The leading hook of a double (spaced) hook leader connection is then passed through the oblique face at the forward end of the body at a location near the severed end of the backbone and allowed to protrude through the side of the body while the trailing hook is allowed to trail freely, or is embedded in the body near the tail. With the plug-cut herring thus attached to the leader and a suitable size sinker with swivels connecting the leader to the fishing line, the bait can be either mooched or trolled behind the vessel. In such mooching there are not only the problems mentioned above but valuable time is often wasted with bait and sinker tangled together unknown to the fisherman.
With this novel salmon jig, such tangling problems are avoided; moreover, it has been found that a specially shaped and rigged lead metal jig, suggestive of a herring, is just as effective in catching salmon as the real bait. Cod jigs and the like heretofore fished in like manner have been used in catching salmon but with limited success. Despite its great density and weight, however, that might be thought to preclude an attractive lure action, the novel lead jig form of this invention does produce the required action and proves to be successful.